The following background discussion includes information that may be useful in understanding the present invention. It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein is prior art or relevant to the presently claimed invention, or that any publication specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art.
Numerous charging systems are known in the art, all of which suffer from one or more disadvantages. See, e.g., Canadian pat. publ. nos. 2414699, 2505668, and 2661165; China pat. publ. nos. 202024234, 202195404, 201053585, and 201081091, UK pat. publ. no. 2377327, U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,391,182, 7,503,668, D0,567,993, D0,486,787, 8,210,708, 6,981,786, 6,719,443 and 6,819,080, and U.S. pat. publ. no. 2001/0055207, 2011/0317403, 2012/0201020, 2008/0038156, 2004/0037069, and 2007/0223217.
For example, U.S. pat. publ. no. 2010/0124050 to Hau et al. discusses an inductive charging station that allows for additional candles to be charged. However, Hau's device is non-stackable, which significantly increases the surface area required when a large number of candles require charging. U.S. pat. publ. no. 2011/0317403 to Fournier, et al. contemplates a stackable charging station to reduce the horizontal space required, but the candles can be difficult to remove from the stackable device, especially those on the lowest levels, without first removing the upper levels of the device.
Unless the context dictates the contrary, all ranges set forth herein should be interpreted as being inclusive of their endpoints, and open-ended ranges should be interpreted to include commercially practical values. Similarly, all lists of values should be considered as inclusive of intermediate values unless the context indicates the contrary.
Thus, there is still a need for improved charging stations for electric lights.